A Tenacious Pursuit
by luck-life
Summary: The happy ending at the end of a fairy tale is not realistic. At least that was what Draco thought when he left. Will Harry and Draco ever find each other again to achieve that fairy tale ending? H/D slash
1. Prologue

**Title:** A Tenacious Pursuit (Prologue)

**Summary:** The happy ending at the end of a fairy tale is not realistic. At least that was what Draco thought when he left. Will Harry and Draco ever find each other again to achieve that fairy tale ending?

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter & characters do not belong to me, they belong to JK Rowling. No copyright infringement intended.

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><p>Harry and Draco have always known each other. They've always been aware of each other. Whether it was through anger, hatred, curiosity or friendship, they've always just been there for each other. It wasn't until the eighth year of Hogwarts when Harry finally realized the friendship with his petit friend, Draco, wasn't enough anymore, he wanted to hug and kiss the blonde too.<p>

And so this was the beginning of an all conquering relationship that shook Hogwarts to the core. Hogwarts was split into thirds. One side just didn't care all that much about their relationship. Another, mostly those Hufflepoufs, was in love with the mere idea of their relationship. Unfortunately, most of the students were on the third side, they hated Harry and Draco dating. It just didn't make sense to them. It wasn't right, just wasn't right.

Harry, Harry just ignored it all, but Draco was different. He always put up a brave front, but when the curtains around his bed are shut, everything came tumbling down. The hard exterior just cracks wide open leaving the true Draco, the man Harry is in love with vulnerable to the world. But sometimes, even Harry's assurances were of no use. Both of them were losing friends, Harry lost the most. Granger, and Weasel at first were accepting, but it was just denial. Their honest opinions eventually seeped in.

The last and final year was a bittersweet one. Harry finally found someone, the perfect person. Draco's one true love returned his feelings. Love was in the air. But in the background, millions of voices were hoping, wishing for their failure. And Draco was fully aware of this.

When Harry held him, he felt so protected, it just felt so right. Just snuggling on Draco's bed was everything, was everything they needed. In that moment, Draco had never felt so cherished, so loved.

Eighth year ended though. It ended two months ago and now reality began to slither in.

Their quaint little house was beautiful. It was much smaller than Malfoy Mansion, but it was their house. It all started off so beautifully, then the bad began. Father, Lucius disowned him. The failures, failing the Dark Lord, falling in love with a half blood and last, but not least being a pouf all built up against him and Lucius without a second thought signed away his son, his only son. With no inheritance he had no money and Draco without the Malfoy name still had the Malfoy pride. Draco tried to get work, really tried, but at every corner he was shut down.

Step by step, day by day, Draco began to learn the truth. Each interaction with Harry he learned. From each bystander on the street he learned. From Harry's friend he learned.

The knowledge that Draco just didn't deserve to be with a Potter was learned. And everyone was right. He was broke; he had no job, no means of supporting himself. He had nothing to offer Harry.

Harry deserved someone better.

Harry was strong, but even the strong get hurt. Draco knew that his brown haired adonis would sacrifice everything in the name of their love. Draco couldn`t let that happen. Harry was Harry. He was kind, compassionate, understanding and above all loving. But Draco wasn`t worth it, he wasn't worth Harry's heartbreak and Harry's relationship with Granger and Weasley was much stronger and much better. They may love each other, but the blonde should've know from the start that they wouldn`t achieve that fairytale ending together. But Draco had hoped, he really did, but Harry, his perfect Harry deserved happiness, whether with that female Weasley or with another man. His beloved Harry deserved it.

And with that decision, Draco closed the final door on his future and any hope he had ever had that Prince Charming would come for him. Malfoy`s had always belonged in the shadows even though like moths, they've wished for light. Harry was going to come back any minute now, it was time to leave.

With one last glance, Draco apparated out. One glimpse of Harry would make him fold in his decision.

Only one thing reminiscent of Draco was left behind, a photo of them at the height of their happiness together and on the back there were three words, three heartbreaking words.

"I'm sorry.

Goodbye"

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><p>Hey! So how did like it? I hope you did. This is my first attempt at a chaptered story so please let me know if I'm doing alright! Hope you enjoyed reading this and leave a review too! Thanks! :)<p> 


	2. Current Times

**A/N:** Hello! I've finally finished typing out this chapter and editing as well. Wow, I didn't know concentrating on one piece of writing is so difficult, I have a new respect for all those authors out there. There isn't too much development in this chapter, it just presents their current lives but I hope you still enjoy reading it!**  
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**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter & characters do not belong to me, they belong to JK Rowling. No copyright infringement intended.

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><p>~3 Years Later~<p>

"Harry! Harry, wake up!" Hermione yelled through the floo, "Mrs. Weasley made hash browns, your favourite!"

Groaning at the brightness from the sun's rays, he responded, "Yes, let me get dressed. I'll be over in a jiffy."

Getting up from his bed, Harry looked at their, no his flat. It seemed so empty even after three years. His love's things were all gone, nothing but a photo. A photo and three words, but everything had a memory attached with his beautiful lover. The oven where Draco cooked their meals. The comfy couch where they cuddled and watched the telly together. Even the sock drawer where Draco use to mutter about the disgraceful socks that the boy who lived wore.

Memories. They were all around him, surrounding him. That was how Harry survived.

When Harry first came home from work, he was tired and all he wanted was to be with his lover. But coming home to an empty flat devoid of any of Draco's things scared him. Those three words, those three heartbreaking words tore him apart. They've been together for so long. They survived together for so long. They were finally happy now.

But Draco wasn't.

Or else he wouldn't have left.

But Harry didn't give up. He searched high and low, from sea to sea, everywhere. Everywhere he thought Draco could be.

It was after the long search that the dark feeling began growing in his heart. His Draco didn't have anything. His stupid parents disowned him. His friends weren't really friends to begin with. All he had was Harry. And now that his petit blonde left, Draco really didn't have a lot. His vulnerable lover was out there in the world.

Alone.

That scared Harry. Hermione and Ron were his saviors. Even when they've grown apart over the years, in his time of need, his two best friends rushed back comforting him, helping him and just being there for him.

And so he survived like everyone that lost a loved one, he lived. But there was always an open wound that wouldn't scar, an open wound that kept Harry hoping. His Draco could come back someday.

But this was his life now. At twenty years of age, Harry hasn't really changed. Even when he was seventeen, he was six feet two, but now he'd gained more muscle and became more fit. Auror training would do that to anyone though.

Throwing on some clothes, he ducked into his smoky fireplace and flooed over to his second home.

"Harry!" was all he heard before he was wrapped into a warm hug.

"Good morning Mrs. Weasley." Harry returned with a peck on the cheeks.

"Dear, is being an auror that tiring? You look so tired, those black bags under your eyes are so prominent," Mrs. Weasley quietly whispered in his ear.

He tried smiling, but it turned out to be a grimace, a sad one at that too. "No, it's just that time of the year. Thanks, but you don't have to worry about it."

Yelling into the dining room, he announced his presence as he sat down, "Good morning. Sorry, slept in again. Let's dig in!"

Hashbrowns, scrambled eggs, grilled sausages, everything anyone could think they could have for breakfast was all layed on that table.

It was delicious.

Turning to Bill, he asked "How's Fleur doing? Still sick?"

"Arhg. Yeah, every morning. I really wish something would stay down."

Smiling, "At least after all this, you'll have your own bundle of joy.

"Yeah, you're right. I can't wait." Scooping some scrambled eggs on to his plate, Bill looked like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. "A family, it's like living in a dream, I can finally have one. Even with all this." Bill pointed to his face, his scarred face.

Chuckling, "It gives you character. Not everyone can say that they survived a werewolf attack, especially an attack from Fenir."

Leaning over to whisper into Harry's ear, Bill grinned. "How's Ronny doing? He's been so secretive lately. Fred and George's been pestering him about auror training, but nothing. Zip. Is he doing well?"

"It's a surprise. You'll find out in time." Harry inwardly grinned. No one knew but Ron and him, but they were graduating soon. Months and months of learning, applying skills and apprenticing has finally gotten that far. They're going to be officially aurors soon.

But he wished Draco could be here with him, congratulating him.

That's the reason why Harry gave his dream of becoming a mediwizard and instead chose to become an auror. With this job came connections, connections that will help him find Draco.

That has been his goal all along. He even made a list so he will always know his priorities.

1. Become an auror.

2. Establish connections (Ministry, 'Purebloods', other countries, Muggle World, etc)

3. Become Head Auror

4. Find Draco

5. Convince Draco to come back

6. Make the world understand how perfect he and Draco are together

7. Live happily ever after

Those were his goals, plans might not go as he would expect since he was after all Harry Potter. Nothing really goes as planned when his name was attached to said plan.

Pretty soon, number one will be crossed off the list and them six more steps to go.

Intruding into the blueprints of his future life, Hermione forcefully murmured, "Quit daydreaming about _him. _Eat some more toast, you have to go soon." In a louder voice, "Ron, you on the other hand, quit stuffing yourself. I don't think you want what happened last time to occur again, do you?"

A blushing Ron stopped his fork midway from his plate to his mouth. Last time Ron ate too much before on-site training, all the contents of his stomach spewed back out where it entered. Naturally, he failed that exercise.

Everyone around the table but a certain red-cheeked redhead chuckled and a select few even laughed.

Harry looked around him, yes his life was almost perfect, just one more person and that fairy tale ending that Draco doubted so much would be achieved.

~Draco~

Three years, three years since he had last seen Harry. Three years since he broke Harry's heart. Life wasn't pretty for him, but he deserved it. Breaking the wizarding world's hero heart does have that affect on a person's life. All Draco could hope now was that Harry was happy. A little part of his heart kept hoping that Harry was alone; pining away for Draco, but the rest of Draco's brain beat up that thought with rational ones.

Harry after all was the boy who lived. He would've settled with someone else now. The female Weasel probably, G..Gin…Ginerva, yeah that was her name. His beautiful lover, his ex-boyfriend was leading a beautiful life, a life fit for a hero.

That much Draco could predict.

Living as a muggle was difficult. When he first entered this unknown world, everything was so scary and confusing. Eventually though, he learned. Draco learned about technology. From computers to cell phones, it was so amazing. This new world was so magnificent. Harry would've loved seeing all this was the first thought that popped into his head.

And that brought reality down back into his head. He was alone in an unknown world. He spoke their language, but it was like a different dialect. What the heck was a CD? Or a fedora?

For Draco, reality always sucked. He couldn't use magic, Harry would be able to find him then. He basically had no education in this muggle land. The petit blonde had been homeschooled until eleven and then it was off to Hogwarts. He couldn't write in his resume that he attended Hogwarts, a school for the children gifted in magic.

In this mysterious land, he was trash. He had no education, no friends, no family, and no hope.

That's the reason why three years later in nicer terms he was a custodial engineer and in not so nice terms, a janitor.

He hands that before were perfectly manicured and were hardened and dirtied. His perfect blonde locks were cut. Sometimes, when he looked into a mirror, he couldn't even recognize himself anymore.

Where was Draco Malfoy? Where was the prideful boy? Where was he?

All he could see was Joseph Evens, the average undereducated young man. Grey eyes in the mirror were reflecting the sadness and loneliness of his miserable state.

His mouth twisted into a mocking smile. All those people were right after all. Malfoys were nothing, but low class scum.

Occasionally during his bad days, he would try to picture him and Harry together. It could be laying down together on a beautiful green meadow whispering sweet nothings into each others' ears. Or, Harry talking to him with his alluring emerald eyes sparkling while he was preparing a candlelit dinner for the two. If Draco was feeling particularly tragic that night, he would just picture Harry smiling, just smiling – at him. His fantasies of what his life could've been if only he had stayed ignorant of the true facts. The ifs in Draco's life haunted him at night.

Harry was like a mirage now, an ethereal dream. He wondered how Harry looked like now? What kind of job did he have? Was he still aiming to be a mediwizard? Those times with Harry felt like such an illusion now.

Draco's life wasn't horrible though. He just went through the motions of life, it was basically the same each day. Each morning he woke at 5am, went to work, ate and then slept. It wasn't terribly interesting, but it wasn't exactly what someone called living a life either.

Interrupting his line of though, Mr. Green, his boss said, "Stop daydreaming Joe. Get to work. I didn't pay you to just stare into space."

"Yes, sir"

With a wet mop and a dirty bucket of water, he began mopping the floors of the ever popular shopping mall.

Yes, this was Draco Malfoy's life. And this is the life that Harry will never know about, no matter what he has to do to hide from Harry.

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><p><strong>AN:** Hello again, so did you enjoy reading it? Anyways, thanks to mochiusagi and slytherin-devil-13 for reviewing. I really appreciated it, thank you! Each review was like a little smiley sticker, a little reward to keep going so review please. :)


	3. Fate at Work

**A/N**: Hello! It's been a long time, but here's chapter 2! I hope you enjoy reading it! **  
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**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter & characters do not belong to me, they belong to JK Rowling. No copyright infringement intended.

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><p>With the raising volume of voices next door arguing, once again, Draco began to wake up. It was his daily alarm clock you see. Since he moved in next door, they've always been in squabbles and always over the teeniest things.<p>

"You didn't put the dishes away! Again!" The woman next door yelled.

"I'm always so busy at work; I get tired when come I home you know." Her partner retorted.

"You're not the only one who works you know!" Her voice escalated.

Draco tried to muffle his ears with the palms of his hands, but it didn't work, at all. He really wasn't use to any sort of yelling at all. At home, his parents were always poised; fighting was such a common thing, it was beneath them. When he was with Harry, they just never fought, at least not to that degree, but if they did live together as long as that couple did, would they be like them?

"Time to get up, boss never likes latecomers," Draco spoke to Moomoocow as he stretched out some unused muscles.

Moomoocow was his most precious possession from his childhood.

On his sixth birthday, he woke up happy at the thought of his birthday party to come. His best friend, Blaise stated that everyone got presents on his birthday and everyone's friends and family would come and visit. He remembered he even woke up extra early because he was just so excited. But as the day went on, there was nothing out of the ordinary; there were no congratulations, no extra smiles and no presents. He kept hoping, smiling to his nursemaid and the house elves as they bustled through the mansion. It was six in the evening when his smile began to fade, no one remembered about him or his birthday. His heart dropped and little Draco snuck back under the covers for comfort.

As he fell asleep though, he could vaguely feel his father kissing him on his forehead and sneaking something under his blankets. Because he fell asleep, he noticed no more. In the morning when he woke up, there beside him laid there with him a stuffed animal, a stuffed cow to be precise. Draco remembered how ecstatic he was when he awakened. His father and mother loved him! That morning was one of his best childhood memories.

His father was never really an affectionate person and so was his mother. They were beautiful, but rather stoic people. His father's blonde hair was always combed neatly; never a single hair out of place, no matter what trouble comes to him. When he was a little boy, his greatest wish was to become respectable like his father, but look now. Draco was one of those whom his father treated as pests, trash of the world. Oh, how things have changed.

~…~

Regal Avery really was a classy mall. Beautiful chandeliers hung off the humongous ceilings. The presence of the artificial sunlight was always shining through the high skylights. Detailed tiles were carefully laid down on to the floors. Purple, a royal colour in itself was the colour scheme of the entire mall. Elegance was the aura emitted by this place.

Most of Draco's time was spent making sure each and every tile was shined and absolutely no dirt was seen. Seeing that the shoppers wore shoes, shoes that have pretty much walked through all sorts of unmentionable materials, he was never free of work. Needless to say, it was endless.

Sometimes Draco really despaired. All this scrubbing and mopping, would it ever stop? Each tile he mopped clean, another ten were being dirtied up. Did all these muggles really have to walk so much? If only they could apparate, there would be so much less work.

If nothing else worked, he could always hex them until they learn to wipe their dirty, muddy shoes on the carpets before entering the actual mall. Draco cackled inwardly before mopping with a renewed vigour.

Okay, that wouldn't happen, but if he worked extra hard, maybe Mr. Green would let him go earlier and he could finally enjoy some peace and quiet with a nice bubble bath. That was one of the few positive things he was introduced to when he 'became' muggle. Ah, bubble bathes, Draco just absolutely adored them.

But just as his mood began to become serene, he began to hear a sudden and tremendous amount of whispering going around him.

Whipping his head around, Draco saw a pair of teenage muggles dressed in the latest fashions whispering to each other. Okay, maybe he shouldn't read so much of those trashy adolescent magazines; he even knew what was 'in' now. For shame, Draco lectured himself. He knew though, he could not stop, they're his dirty little secrets, no one will ever find out anyways.

"Who's that little boy there?" The blonde teen whispered to her friend.

"Is he alone? He's so cute. I want to pinch his little cheeks." Her friend giggled.

"Oh my gosh! Don't do that Beth. I remember my gran use to do that, it hurt like heck. His mum will find him if he is lost." She said as she rubbed her pink cheeks in memory.

"Shouldn't we report it to security? He's so lost looking." The teenage girl cautiously said to her friend.

Shaking her head, the other responded, "We don't want to blow it up."

With one last look at that little toddler near the benches, the pair of shoppers walked away, the newest pair of heels apparently caught their mind.

The blonde wizard sneered at the pair, they're so damn vapid. They see a pair of heel shoes and their original thoughts are trashed. They were talking about a little boy though. He wondered where the tot was.

His eyes glided throughout the first floor of the mall. Stores, shoppers, décor, nothing out of the ordinary, but just as he was going to resume mopping, he saw him. There was a dark-haired toddler dressed in a poufy blue jacket with pants that seem to be an adorable red onesie. The toddler's eyes were huge, frantically going back and forth looking for something. His little hands were clenched into a fist and as time slowly went by; his enormous blue eyes began to well up in tears.

More and more people were staring at the little one, but no one was stopping.

Tick-tock, tick-tock, the giant clock in the middle of the shopping centre slowly ticked by, but everything remained the same. People, all sorts of muggles from young to old, from gangsters to yuppie mothers, life was going on. Draco bet that the little moment of curiosity and hesitance they all had when seeing that innocent little child all alone went by quickly, so quickly that the scene didn't affect them at all.

What if Harry hadn't helped him when he had? Would he be like that little boy now? Would he be all alone in the world, loved by no one? Draco quickly erased the little fact in his mind that he currently was in fact all alone in the world and loved by no one.

Well Draco wasn't going to let that happen to that child. That boy didn't even look like he has three years old. Where were his parents or his guardians? Or even his babysitter? Waiting around wasn't going to help anyone so Draco decided to take the first initiative like Harry did for him a long time ago.

With that Draco began walking towards the tiny boy leaving behind him a caution sign about the wet floor and a wet mop neatly placed beside the bucket. As he moved closer and closer, he apparently caught the eyes of the child. The eyes started to brighten up and the tears drying away leaving only remnants of it on his cheeks.

"Where's my mummy?" The dark haired child looked up to Draco. Apparently the little boy wasn't a toddler, he could even speak.

Crouching down to speak to the child at eye level, Draco faked a cheerful smile. "Hello! Your mother should be around here somewhere. Did she tell to be a good boy to wait here?"

He was starting to cry. "No. Mummy told me to stay here. Mummy told me she isn't my mummy anymore!"

Confused, Draco questioned, "Are you sure? Maybe she was just playing a game with you."

There was no answer. The only sounds that were emitting from the bundle in his arms were sniffles.

Well whoever this mother was, she wasn't very responsible was she. The blonde man just held the boy in his arms waiting for her to come, but in the end no one stepped forward. By this time, he had stopped crying and was looking around his surroundings trying to find his mother.

Fifteen minutes later, Draco was still holding a teary little boy and there was still no frantic mother running around to find her lost child.

Draco set the dark haired boy down to stand. "Can you be a brave little boy and stand up on your own? You know what? I think your mummy has gotten lost in this mall. I'll just tell someone and then she can come here and find you. Is that alright?"

"Yes. Yes! Yes!" Rocking on his feet, the boy started to smile and laugh. He ran over and hugged Draco, at least put his arms around Draco's legs and held on real tight.

Taking the walkie talkie assigned to him out of his blue overalls, he pressed the call button. He attempted to tap his left foot impatiently, but with the lost child coiled tightly around him, he couldn't.

His boss' static voice buzzed over the walkie talkie. "What's wrong Joe? Don't tell me those damn teens came again!"

"No, no, nothing like that sir, but there is a kid that was left unattended where I'm working."

An awkward silence rang through the conversation. He assumed Green was looking a little bit bug eyed with his mouth wide open.

"What?" Mr. Green finally responded. A one word response apparently.

"I was mopping, sir, in the north wing and there he was. I waited with him for half an hour, but his mother never returned to get him." Draco attempted to be meek.

"Bring him to the information desk, the main one," his boss ordered.

"Yes sir."

The petit man turned off the walkie talkie and returned it back to his pocket. He looked back down and a big pair of eyes was staring back.

Crouching down, Draco said to the toddler, "We're going to the centre of the mall now and we'll wait for your mummy there, alright?'

As he stood back up, he looked back towards where he had set down his mop. He really hoped no one would steal those items. But then again, who would be such a worthless loser to steal something like that out in the open. He started to walk, but Draco noticed that there was no little boy teetering after him and his steps weren't that big were they? After all Harry had always teased him about having such a small stride because of his small frame.

Draco stopped and looked back. There the dark haired toddler was, still standing in his original spot sucking on his thumb.

Draco waved for him to come over. The blonde smiled encouragingly.

Draco's heart melted a bit; the child was just utterly adorable. At that second, he wished that he had his own child, but he knew that it would never happen. The small little steps he was taking with his adorable little bunny shoes were slowly bringing him closer to Draco. Occasionally, he had to stop for a few seconds waving his arms out to regain balance, but he trudged along like a little soldier. Draco looked around making sure no one saw how he had turned into such a Hufflepuff, he was a Slytherin and Slytherin's were cunning and evil. Yes and Draco was exactly like that, no melting at all. Later, Draco knew that he would have to do something evil to make up for that moment. Maybe he'll press all the buttons on the elevator.

When he finally reached Draco, he stopped. With a solemn face, he held out his arms expecting to be carried.

It wasn't his fault. He had been standing all day waiting for his mummy. Then when he thought his mummy didn't love him anymore, she sent this pretty angel to return him back to her. He bet that mummy just got distracted looking at pretty clothes again.

She did that all the time!

But mummy's smile was so pretty, so it was okay.

But angel's smile was also pretty, even prettier than mummy's!

So deep in thought, he didn't notice when he was off the ground and was held safely in Angel's arms.

Standing for so long, he must really be tired Draco thought as a small smile slowly appeared on to his face.

"What's your name?" The small boy demanded childishly.

"Oh? You want to know, I'm a stranger you know? You shouldn't trust me. Didn't your mother tell you not to talk to strangers?" Draco laughingly teased the child.

Jutting out his lips, he began to pout. He just wanted to know Angel's name, that's it! Angel wasn't a stranger. He was … he was … Well he didn't know who angel was, but he knew that he could trust him. After all, how can someone so pretty be mean?

Draco smiled down at the little boy. "My name is –"

Draco stopped as the boy's eyes grew wider and he started to wriggle. Putting the dark haired boy on to the ground Draco turned to see what the other was looking at. But in no time, the excited child began to run or best described as quickly wobbled towards this woman. No, she was more like a teen.

"Mommy, I'm here. You found me!" Draco heard him yell happily across the mall.

As he looked across the hallway of shops he saw a platinum blond, probably colour treated, teen carrying bags and bags of expensive clothes. Herself wearing a tight, low top revealing more of her woman parts than necessary paired with the shortest pair of shorts he's ever seen on anyone and not to mention those gaudy neon green four inch heels. He shook his head in disgust, are all teen muggles like that? What's the word Green used to describe them? Was it prostitute? No. Slut! Yeah that's it. Draco shook his head, she was a mother? She was the one who raised such an adorable creature, the one that loved and trusted her with all his little innocent heart?

"Mommy!"

His legs feeling like it was glued to the floor, Draco watched the next series of events like a horror film gone wrong. Draco witnessed her head turning, her eyes widening in shock then horror and then her stiffly sliding her heels to the opposite direction. He was still running towards her, but a kid can only run so much, no matter how excited. He was slowing down. Next thing he knew, she had started running, not to her child, but away. Her heels click clacking across the floor attempting to carry all her bags with her.

"Mommy! Wait!" Out of breath and still trying to run, he screamed for his mommy. "Mommy! You're going too fast!"

Why wasn't his mommy waiting for him? She was running the wrong way! He was tired and all he wanted was to hug his mum. Tears began to form in his eyes. He angrily wiped them away; his mum hated it when he cried. Distracted with trying to run, he didn't see what came next.

Draco watched as in slow motion as the desperate child continued running after his escaping mother. Draco watched as he started crying. Draco watched as he slipped on an unfortunate piece of paper on the ground falling head first. And Draco also watched as the mother turned around once to see her own son fall and duteously ignoring the scene to ram headfirst through the crowd of curious shoppers to the parking lot.

The shrill of an abandoned child echoed through the mall. By now, the child has stopped trying to stifle his tears and was now openly crying for mother, for her to wait for him.

"Mommy! Come back! I have an owie! I was a good boy! You promised me!" Everyone heard as the sad boy's cries increasingly became louder and louder.

Draco shook himself out of shock. As he cautiously walked to the bawling boy, everything shattered. Blood was running down his cheeks. Touching his cheek, he could feel the liquid, red staining his hands, his uniform. What was going on?

Run, you have to run. His natural Slytherin instincts were yelling at him. Protect yourself. But there was no where to run, no where to escape, it was everywhere.

...

"Potter, come." The Head Auror ordered with a wave of a hand.

Harry inwardly sighed, what did Shacklebolt want this time? When Harry asked Kingsley to not give him any sort of special treatment, this was not what he had in mind. The experienced auror in his attempt to treat him with indifference just backfired in the end.

True, Harry had to start with minor cases to work up to major ones, but with the way Kingsley was working him, deliberately assigning him very minor cases like marital disputes, he'll be stuck on the bottom level for a long time. Unlike Ron who was already going on to more complicated cases. How in the world was he going to find his angel then?

Closing the door to Kingsley's office, Harry worked up some Gryffindor courage.

"Harry, sit," Kingsley with a wave of his wand conjured a comfortable couch.

He sat down and relaxed into the chair. "Is it possible for me to work on some more difficult cases now?" Harry confidently looked the Head Auror in the eye.

The bald dark skinned man looked a bit confused. "Are you sure? These cases might bring you into some spotlight Harry. I thought you wanted to stay out of it."

So that's the why Kingsley has been shoving him with some miscellaneous cases. He can't wait to tell Ron. They can finally work together again like they had to in training.

"Yeah. It feels like I'm not helping anyone. How does breaking up exceedingly loud arguments help anyone really?" Harry tilted his head frowning.

When no one responded, Harry looked up to see Kingsley muttering softly as he read a letter.

Leaning forward on the chair, he was concerned. "What's going on? Something wrong?"

"Not particularly, but you do have a mission now." The Head Auror exclaimed.

Curious, Harry waited for him to tell what his mission was, but the anticipation was building up and still no response.

"So, what is it?"

"There's this muggle mall in London, there's been an astounding amount of magical residue escaping from it. We suspect it is underage magic, but the reports say that it has affected all the muggles in that particular area. You'll have to interview them and help fix up their memories."

The young brunette smiled. This was the kind of mission he had been waiting for.

"Go now. The other aurors and obliviators are already there."

"Thanks, Kingsley." And with a huge smile and a flick of the want, he disappeared.

~…~

The dark haired Gryffindor scanned the scene. There was glass everywhere. All the windows, glass ceilings and chandeliers have shattered. What the heck has happened here?

As if knowing his question, a certain red haired Weasley said, "Harry! By golly, you've been finally promoted! But before congratulations, we have to sort out this mess." He waved his arms fanatically around.

Ron pointed to a blonde man sitting beside a tragic looking child.

"You see that tot Harry? He's the one who did all this. Blimey, he's got some magical powers." Ron joked.

Harry turned his head. The blonde man was so familiar. He almost resembled Draco. Was it his Draco? The hair was so blonde that as Harry turned his head at an angle, he saw white. Only Malfoys would have this type of hair. No one can imitate it, even with muggles and their nasty chemicals. The man's huddled body looked so much like his Draco. Down to their petite feet and the way they tie their shoelaces.

But it just wasn't possible. That man was a custodian. Harry couldn't picture Draco being a janitor. Although Draco had abandoned a lot of the Malfoy ways, he still retained the Malfoy pride. No, Harry thought, that couldn't possibly be Draco.

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><p><strong>AN:** So how'd you like it? I know I know, it's been like two months since I've posted, but this chapter has so much more content so it took me a while to type it all out. Oh yeah, what should the adorable little boy's name be? Leave some names, maybe I'll choose one. : ) I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading!

PS: Review please! : D


	4. An Awkward Encounter

**A/N:** Hi! Finally right? Took me like two months, but here it is, Chapter 3! Hope you enjoy reading it! : )

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter & characters do not belong to me, they belong to JK Rowling. No copyright infringement intended.

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><p>Looking at the mess, Harry combed his hand through his already tangled hair; it was going to be a difficult case. There were so many injuries, luckily no deaths though. Thank goodness. Half the mall was in ruins. Over one thousand people were hurt ranging from cuts to concussions. It was presumed there was more than three hundred fifty thousand pounds in damages. And all this was caused by one kid, one little brunette kid. Boy can magic do wonders.<p>

Harry peered though his messy hair to look carefully across the hall. The kid was nothing special. Hair so dark, it was almost black, but not quite, blue eyes and a little over one hundred centimeters, he just altogether looked like any pre-k child. Harry would've never guessed that that little boy did all this.

Shaking his head out of the clouds, Harry reported to the auror supervisor aka 'The Lazy Arsehole Who Doesn't Do Work'.

"Hey Scrimgeour, what can I do?" Harry said as he snuck up to Rufus Scrimgeour.

The aged wizard swished around immediately warningly pointing his wand at Harry.

"Don't sneak up on me like that again Potter. You understand?"

Harry rolled his eyes, a habit he had picked up from Draco. "Yes, of course."

Scrimgeour glared a bit more seeing that the upstart clearly wasn't respecting him.

Lowering his tone of voice Harry curiously asked, "So what's the situation? How did that kid just do all this?"

Still a bit angry, Scrimgeour gruffly replied. "Are you a blockhead that you don't even know the basics of magic?"

The cocky wizard waited for a retort, a reply, but when nothing was said, he continued.

"A child's magic is wild. It can't be controlled. That's why we don't start training young wizards and witches until they're eleven. They can't control it until then. Magic thinks and reacts with the child when they're young, but the child themselves can't harness the magic since they are not mature enough to be able to do that. Weren't you at that age just a decade or so ago? I remember reading your file Potter. Hair growing back overnight, jumping impossible heights, blowing up your own aunt, and even making glass disappear and reappear, that was your wild, untamed magic."

Harry just nodded not feeling up to an argument. This magic wasn't just wild, it was sad, tragic. It gave him a hollow feeling of abandonment. He could still feel the magic residue coming out in waves against him, ambushing him from all sides.

"Yes, I got you, but you still haven't answered the most important question. Can you explain to me what happened in this cursed mall?"

Scrimgeour just huffed. "Shacklebolt must've told you. Don't accuse me of not telling you pertinent information"

"Shacklebolt didn't tell me shit." Harry adamantly said.

"Don't use such words at work. This is not school Potter. Remind yourself to use proper language. You are representing the Auror Division and the Wizarding World out here." Scrimgeour lectured.

Too bad Harry was not at all apologetic. "Ok, sorry. But can you tell me about this case now? You know right now?"

Scrimgeour trembled a bit. Harry's magic was grabbing at him, angry. "Just go ask your damn friend Weasley. He'll know more about it. Been here a few hours longer."

Wow. Scrimgeour didn't know much then. Harry really wanted to laugh. Scrimgeour wasted his time then.

Turning around he could see Ron was already laughing, clutching his stomach almost as if he was in pain.

"Don't laugh. I bet you'd be even more pissed off if you had stand there listening to him speak about utter nonsense." He said as he walked over to his friend.

"Ha ha Harry ha ha why'd have to go report to him ha ha." Ron manically laughed. "You've could've just come to me. Ha ha."

"Yeah yeah." Harry playfully replied. "So what's this about? What do I have to do?"

Calming down with occasional bouts of laughter, Ron attempted to explain. "From what we gathered from that blond man," he pointed to the slight man in overalls, "the boy's wild magic went out of control when his mother abandoned him. So this is the result of that." Ron spread his arms and looked throughout their surroundings.

"That's all you got?" The strong echoes of magic had already told Harry this.

"Well, everyone was so busy, so I just asked that man some quick questions. The kid was way too emotionally unstable to ask any, but it wasn't like I could've got any information from him in the first place. He looks about three, I don't even know if he can speak yet. There was there much to do so I had to move on ye'know." Ron looked at Harry imploring him to understand. "Besides, you've always been better at interrogating than I was so I might as well leave you some work." Ron chuckled a little. "Can you go ask them some more? We need as much info as we can get. That report is gonna take a hella long time to write." Ron sighed.

"Sure. But this isn't an interrogation right?" Harry had already turned around staring at the pair thoughtfully. "It doesn't feel like dark magic."

"No, but you've always been so good at getting information out of people so I just assumed that …" Ron faded off.

"Ok, seems simple." Harry turned his head to reply to Ron as he was already strolling to the man and the boy, his curiosity sparked by the blond hair, the familiar blond hair.

From what he could see, the blond man was a muggle janitor. He was petite about one hundred seventy centimeters tall and didn't seem to be too shaken up by what happened. Harry guessed that he might still be in shock. The brown haired boy on the other hand looked to be about three years old and was sobbing, practically having a break down in the older man's arms. Harry felt a twinge of sadness for the boy.

Harry breathed in a big breath of air and with some false confidence; he introduced himself ignoring his wand vibrating in the back pocket of his ripped dark washed jeans.

"Hello. My name is Harry Potter, but you guys can just call me Harry. How are you doing?" Harry tried to give off confidence and security with his smile.

The petite man looked up locking his wide terrified grey eyes with Harry's emerald green ones.

Harry reeled back in shock. What was going on? Is he …

"Draco?"

Was this his dragon? Did he finally find him after all these years? Has all his persistence and patience finally paid off? Yes, his Draco, his boyfriend to be with and protect for eternity will finally be back in his arms. The final piece of the puzzle in his life will be completed.

Tragically as Harry took another long thorough look at this blonde stranger, today just wasn't the day.

This man wasn't his Draco.

His puzzle was just going to have to be left incomplete for another day.

His Draco was pale, aristocratically pale with silvery golden fine long hair, silver grey eyes, an angular face and a cute little button nose. This man – he shared his Draco's fine golden hair and lean body, but it was roughly chopped short and this man had a bigger nose and thinner lips.

Damn it! Where the hell is Draco? It's been three years already, wasn't Draco ready to come back to him yet? Voldemort was gone. Lucius couldn't interfere anymore. They were free to be together. Damn it Draco! Why'd you have to go?

"Excuse me?" His Draco look-alike nervously asked sedating Harry's internal rant.

That was his voice! His delicate, soft voice! This was his dragon! His dragon's soft voice when he greeted Harry, when he was feeling insecure, when he was lecturing Harry about his socks, when he …

Harry shook his head out of the clouds. Who was he joking. This janitor wasn't Draco.

"Sorry, you reminded me of someone I knew. Umm – so can tell me what happened?"

He heard the other man quietly cough. When the other finally spoke, the voice was subtlely deepened shaking with uneasiness.

"Ummm, I don't really know what to say." The blonde man paused looking up at Harry. Harry nodded at him to continue. "One second everything was normal and next – everyone was screaming and ducking for cover."

"So can you tell me what happened exactly right before the explosion happened? Anything little, maybe to you insignificant, detail you can think of will be extremely helpful." Harry went into auror mode.

"I told Weas-, I mean that guy already." The man said pointing at Ron. "I was looking after him, he was lost you see." A sweet smile looked down at the boy in the man's lap causing Harry's heart to skip a beat. "He couldn't find his mother so we were waiting together for her. When we finally saw her and she saw him," the man's fingers noticeably tightened with tension and he sneered, "the hussy ran away."

He hugged the young boy even tighter as the quiet sniffles became loud cries.

Noticeably, Harry's face softened into a kind smile. This man reminded him so much of Draco. Draco secretly helped those who were weak. But, if there was anyone more judgmental than Draco, Harry hasn't met him yet. But this man might be in competition with Draco for that title now.

Crouching down, Harry stared at him directly in the eyes. The other visibly gulped with widened grey eyes, but Harry just excused it as a reaction from the traumatic incident.

Chuckling a little, "Do you remember how that 'hussy' looked like?"

A dark, malicious look passed through the blonde man's face. "Of course," he disdainfully replied, "Who wouldn't after seeing such a poorly dressed two cent," he leaned into Harry's ear and whispered, "whore."

Sitting back as if no such action took place, the pink-cheeked custodian began his little rant. "She is such a you-know-what! I mean, who would even you know…," he faded off blushing. "She doesn't deserve to be his mother. I mean look at him, he's just so darn adorable with his messy brown hair and cerulean blue eyes. Even with snot running down his nose and him getting it all this yuck over my overalls, he's still just so cute. Anyone would love to keep him as their own so-"

Harry pushed his glasses up his nose bridge and smiled. He would let the blonde go on, but he was under a time limit and this was his first kind of official mission. He didn't want to disappoint Kinsley too much.

Interrupting a rant that was speeding right off topic, "Yes, yes, I know. No one would ever want to abandon him," Harry said to try to calm down the angered custodian. "So um are you able to do a quick sketch of her," Harry secretly conjured a notepad and pen, "on this notepad instead please."

"Sure! I draw really well! My parents use to say I was the best drawer ever." Dra- no the custodian said enthusiastically.

"Drawing?" A subdued voice asked from in between the man's arms.

Harry saw the man's attention immediately shift and mellow out. "Do you want to draw?"

"What are we drawing?" The hiccupping curious voice asked.

Harry like a regular Gryffindor barged right in. "We're trying to find your mother. So if you draw her, we'll be able to find her better."

Grey eyes pierced right at him warningly. Harry backtracked, "We just want to know where she is so she'll be safe. So can you and your friend," Harry looked up to meet with a pair of familiar angry eyes, "draw how she looks like?"

Harry lifted the boy out of the possessive arms of the self-appointed caretaker and sat him down on some tiles without glass. Conjuring up some colourful crayons, he gave them and a piece of paper to the boy.

"Here. You can draw your mum now."

"Noah." The innocent voice said. "Noah." He pointed at himself looking back at the custodian seeming to have remembered something.

"Yes. You're Noah, but draw now." Harry tried to coax the little boy.

Noah didn't seem appeased and his lips jutted out into a pout. "Name is Noah!"

Harry was lost. He didn't know what to do. Besides Dudley, he never really talked with other kids when he was at that age. What did the little boy want? He had to get that drawing and find that mother. Harry couldn't just let this cute little boy go into the foster system. He knew that Noah would never turn into Tom. After all, Tom was a freaking psychopath who didn't care about anyone but himself. But Harry didn't want to take that chance. The foster care system wasn't the best either from what he read from the muggle papers from time to time.

Thankfully, the custodian seemed to know what the little brunette wanted. "Oh! Noah, you still want to know my name don't you?"

Immediately, the boy's azure blue eyes brightened nodding so frantically that his neatly combed hair became tangled mess. A beautiful carefree laughter emitted from the Drac-, the custodian. Why did he keep thinking that this man was Draco? Was he beginning to become so desperate that he was latching on to the first person who resembled his Draco, his elegant Draco?

No.

Of course he wouldn't.

He wasn't going to betray Draco like that.

"Well my name is Joseph. Let us draw her now alright?"

"Ok Joph!" Noah lay down on his stomach and began to draw.

"Jo – sef, Joseph - pronounce it with me." Joseph tried to get Noah to copy his mouth movements.

"JOEF." Noah enthusiastically said as he coloured.

The petite man sighed. "Can you give me some paper as well and a pen please?" Joseph asked Harry.

Harry shoved the conjured notepad and a crayon at Joseph. "Here." A hurt expression appeared on the blonde's face, but it quickly disappeared as fast as it had appeared. Feeling a bit guilty, Harry flashed a fake smile at the man, but that did more harm than good when the man visibly flinched and backed away, avoiding Harry's eyes.

Joseph scooted over to the far right beside Noah and began to draw ignoring Harry altogether.

An awkward and uncomfortable silence fell upon the threesome. While Noah didn't did seem to notice, Harry and Joseph did.

Tweedling his thumbs, Harry watched them as the pair drew in deep concentration.

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><p><strong>AN:** So did you like it? Was it as dramatic as you've hoped? Or are you just a bit confused? I had planned for there to be more in this chapter, but I thought there was already enough and when I typed out the last sentence, it seemed perfect so I just decided to stop there.

A whole bunch of thanks to **_hearts . are . cold_** for the name suggestion! I would've never thought of the name Noah, but when I saw it, it seemed perfect.

Also, thanks pirplepinkmagic, XxLadyKikixX, chocolatesexytime, smilez and nikitabell for reviewing. I loved each and every one of your reviews and it encouraged me to write.

Thanks for reading! And don't forget to leave a review!


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